If your business already has a Facebook page, you might reasonably ask why you need a website as well.
You can post updates, share photos, answer customer questions, collect reviews and even promote your products or services through Facebook. For some businesses, it can feel like everything you need is already there.
So, is a website necessary?
For most businesses, yes. But not because Facebook is bad. At the end of the day, they just serve entirely different purposes.
Facebook is a useful marketing channel. Your website is the place where you have much more control over how your business is presented and how customers interact with it.
Facebook is useful, but it is still a social platform
There is nothing wrong with building a strong Facebook presence.
If your customers are active on Facebook, your page can be a great way to keep people updated, show what you are working on and encourage conversations. It can also help you stay visible to people who are already familiar with your business.
Meta gives businesses tools to manage content, messages, advertising, insights and linked accounts through their Facebook Pages.
The problem comes when Facebook becomes your only online presence.
Your business is then relying on a platform that you do not control. You have to work within its layout, features, policies and algorithms. If something changes, you and your business have to adapt.
That is not necessarily a reason to leave Facebook, but it is a good reason not to put all your eggs in one basket.
A similar point came up repeatedly in a Reddit discussion among MSP professionals about whether businesses really need websites. Several contributors argued that a website gives a business somewhere it controls, while others pointed out that a website is not automatically valuable simply because it exists. That second point is worth remembering.
A poor website will not magically improve your business. A useful one can.
Your customers are not all finding you on Facebook
This is one of the biggest differences.
Someone who already follows your Facebook page can see your latest post. Someone who has never heard of you is unlikely to be scrolling Facebook specifically looking for the service you provide.
They may be on Google instead.
Think about how you search when you need something unfamiliar. You might type:
“Accountant near me”
“Wedding photographer Kildare”
“Emergency plumber Naas”
“IT support for small business”
Your website gives Google pages it can crawl, understand and potentially show in search results for those searches. Google explains that its crawlers discover web pages, add them to its index and use the content on those pages to understand what they are about.
That does not mean having a website guarantees you a first-page ranking. It doesn’t.
SEO takes time, and there is no shortcut that guarantees a particular position in Google. But having a properly built website gives you something you can fine tune for the searches that matter to your business.
A Facebook page alone gives you far less room to do that.
A website gives you somewhere to explain what you do
Social media is built around posts.
That means information moves.
Your opening hours might be in one post. Your latest prices might be in another. A description of your services could be buried several months back. A customer may have to scroll through your page to work out exactly what you offer.
A website puts that information where people expect to find it.
You can have a dedicated page for each service, a proper About page, testimonials, FAQs, contact details, booking forms, product information and anything else your customers need before getting in touch.
That matters because not every customer wants to send you a Facebook message asking questions you could have answered on your website in the first place.
Your website is part of your first impression
There is also a simple credibility factor.
When someone hears about your business, they may search your name before contacting you. They could find your Facebook page, your Google Business Profile, reviews, directory listings and your website.
Google itself recommends that eligible businesses maintain accurate information through a Google Business Profile, including their website, phone number, opening hours and location.
Having these different pieces working together makes your business easier to check out.
And this is where design matters.
Your website should look like your business. Your branding, photography, messaging, services and contact information should all feel consistent.
A Facebook page cannot give you the same level of control over that experience.
A website does not replace Facebook either
This is where the argument often gets unnecessarily complicated.
You do not have to choose between a website and Facebook for your business.
Use Facebook for what it is good at.
Use it to:
- Share updates and news
- Show your up to date work
- Engage with existing customers
- Build community realtionships
- Promote offers or events
- Direct people towards your website
Then use your website as the place where people can find the full picture.
Google even allows businesses to connect their website and social media presence through their Business Profile, reinforcing the fact that these channels can work alongside each other rather than competing.
But what if Facebook is already bringing me customers?
Then keep using it.
This is an important point.
If your Facebook page is generating enquiries and sales, there is no reason to stop because someone has told you that you “need a website”.
Instead, ask yourself what you are currently missing.
Can people find you when they search for your service on Google?
Can they quickly see everything you offer?
Can they find your prices, portfolio, location or booking information?
Can they contact you without having to use Facebook?
Can you send someone one link that explains your business properly?
If the answer to several of these is no, your Facebook page may be doing a good job while still leaving opportunities on the table.
So, do you really need a website?
For a very small business that is just getting started, Facebook might be enough to begin with.
But as your business grows, relying on one social platform becomes limiting.
Your website gives you a central place for your business online. You control the information, the branding, the customer journey and the content. You can build pages around the services people are searching for and use your other marketing channels to send people there.
That is why the real question is not:
“Should I have a Facebook page or a website?”
It is:
“What job should each one be doing for my business?”
Facebook can help you stay connected to your audience.
Your website can help people find you, understand what you offer and decide whether they want to do business with you.
You probably do not need to abandon Facebook.
You just shouldn’t expect it to do the entire job.
Further reading
For more on the difference between the two, GetResponse’s comparison of Facebook Pages and websites offers a useful marketing perspective. The article was updated in December 2025 and covers control, search, credibility and using multiple marketing channels.
For practical guidance on appearing in Google Search, Google’s SEO Starter Guide is the better source to rely on. It explains how Google discovers, crawls and understands website content and recommends creating useful, well-written content for people first.
If you are considering whether your current website is doing enough for your business, ITM Digital’s web design team can help you review what is working, what is missing and where there is room to improve.